Return to the Forest
by EriksKitty
Summary: [Oneshot] Severus Snape's POV. A scene bridging the book and movie versions of the werewolf sequence in Prisoner of Azkaban.


Return to the Forest

Severus Snape moaned. He had a flare in his head to match the one in his temper. Curse that Potter brat! Acting without thinking, consorting with the likes of that murderer and that werewolf. Severus shakily pulled himself to his feet out of the ruin of the destroyed four-poster. He was really going to feel this in the morning. He moaned again as he felt the lump rising on the back of his head. Spotting his wand, it suddenly struck him how alone he was here.

He knew a moment of sudden anxiety as he wondered where everyone had gone. Had Black committed his foul deed then? If he had, where might he have hidden the bodies? Damn Lupin! Severus had told the Headmaster that wretch couldn't be trusted!

Hearing a sound downstairs, Severus hurried to the passage that would lead to the Whomping Willow. He could hear voices in the distance but could not decipher what was being said. Were any of the voices young? Could it be the Golden Trio still lived? It sounded like too much noise to be just those two malcontents. He rushed along the narrow way, tripping and cursing as he went. It was not too late!

And then, he heard the sound that made his very blood run cold in his veins: the sound of a werewolf howl. He stopped dead in his tracks as the sound chilled his very soul. He remembered all too well the last time he had heard the frightful sound; he really did not wish to repeat the experience. It was an encounter from his school years that still haunted his nightmares.

He hadn't realized he had begun to back up the way he came when he heard the scream. He swallowed hard. Fear or not, the children were in danger. True it was their own fault, but he wouldn't wish Lupin's fate on anyone. Not even Harry Potter. 'Oh, why does it always have to be me who has to rescue that brat?' he thought as he burst from the hole into the bright moonlight. Blinded for a moment, he took a quick look until he discerned three motionless shapes. He had just been about to give them a stern talking to when he heard a growl behind him.

He whipped around, hand fumbling for his wand even as he knew werewolves were near impervious to magic. And then he caught sight of the terrible specter for the first time in years. It still terrified him. "Sweet Merlin," he whispered, urging the awestruck teens behind him. He found he could barely think to do anything else before it was upon them.

Once again, Severus Snape's battered body met hard ground as the creature knocked them all down with one swipe of its claws; fortunately for his students, he seemed to have taken the brunt of it. Dazedly scrambling to his feet, he readied himself to ward off another blow. It did not come. From out of the shadows came a giant black dog whose impact knocked the monster off its course and distracted it momentarily. The wolf gave chase.

At that point, he thought the horror was over; he would just hasten the children back to the castle, take loads of points, maybe assign a few detentions…someone roughly knocked passed him.

"Sirius!" Potter shouted as he ran after wolf and dog. Severus reached and grabbed nothing but air. Attempting his most forbidding classroom voice, he shouted, "Potter! Come back here!" The youth ignored him as he rushed foolishly into the trees. 'Damn idiot, just like his father.' Severus stood there ruminating darkly on the arrogance of all things Potter when he felt yet another figure try to brush by.

"NO!" This time he succeeded in arresting the figure, who turned out to be Miss Granger. He turned to give a look that clearly stated that the Weasley boy better not try the same nonsense; he wasn't sure in his state if he could stop both of them. He needn't have worried; the boy appeared as stricken as Severus felt.

Severus stood, staring worriedly in the general direction wolf, boy, and dog had gone, unaware he was still clutching Miss Granger to him as though his life depended on it. He couldn't leave Potter alone in the forest to his own devices. He came back to himself for an instant and looked down; he couldn't leave these two alone to their own devices either. He loosened his grip on his student. Turning, he fixed them each with a piercing glare in turn.

"Miss Granger, listen to me very carefully. You are to take Mr. Weasley straight to the Hospital Wing at once. Once there, stay there." Seeing a protest forming on the teen's face, he abruptly continued. "I will go after Potter." 'How is it I get myself into these things again?' He sighed. "Inform Madam Pomphrey to alert the Headmaster. I'll return as soon as I can." He looked into the Forbidden Forest in fear for a moment before turning back and pulling a mask of annoyance. "Well? What are you just standing there gawking at me for, you silly girl? Go now!" He watched them long enough to make sure they headed in the right direction then burst into action, heading straight for the forest.

As he ran, Severus quickly sent out a tracer on the boy, following it's golden light as quickly as he was physically able. Presently, he heard another howl. 'Sweet Merlin, there's two of them in here.' It might prove a welcome distraction though; it had sounded like a female, and that might distract Lupin long enough for him to save Potter's ungrateful hide.

He had just crested a rise when a wave of cold ripped through him and he buckled to his knees. At once, voices from his past assaulted him. Clutching his head, he sobbed, "no!"as he struggled to remain upright; at least a hundred dementors came into view. Through his pain and misery, he could just see the edge of the lake where the dementors were swarming around two prone figures.

"Leave him alone!" Potter, it must be Potter. Oh, how that awful boy had taunted him! And next to him must be his usual partner in crime, Black. He sneered down at the two, unseen; they shall finally be punished for all those times they had tormented him…no, no. That was _Harry_ Potter, the boy he had sworn to protect. His mind cleared a little as the boy attempted his pathetic Patronus that lasted all but two seconds. And then the dementors closed in.

Severus watched, powerless to stop anything, as they moved in to take Black's and Potter's souls. He struggled to rise, wand out, but only succeeded in stumbling to his face, a loud hissing laugh now a deafening roar in his ears, to mingle with all the screams there. He was very near the edge of consciousness, when the clearing was lit by a brilliant white light. A silver animal appeared and charged around the clearing. Dementors were being flung in all directions. His mind was clear!

He stumbled to his feet, hoping to catch a glimpse of the wizard who could conjure such a powerful Patronus, but all was dark by the time he made his way down. A distant howl reminded him that he had no time for dillydallying here in the forest. Finally able to stand, he conjured stretchers for Potter and Black and quickly floated them out of the clearing. He was physically and mentally exhausted, and as soon as he dropped Potter off with Poppy and Black with the Headmaster, he would retire to his rooms.

That still gave him entirely too much time to think. And the million galleon question for the moment was: why had Potter gone running after Black, a known murderer and possible psychopath, to save him from a werewolf? Why, in fact, had the boy knocked him out, when Severus had thought the boy was aiming for the felon. He doubted it was poor aim; Potter was too close for that. Maybe he was as hateful as his father and took the opportunity to lash out at the 'evil potion's master' while he had the chance. He could just imagine the scene. 'Honestly Headmaster, I was aiming for Black. My wand hand was a bit shaky…' Severus sneered. Like his father, Potter will no doubt get away with this as well. And probably be given points for it.

His hand tightened on his wand. Well, because of Perfect Potter, Black had almost gotten away. Severus smirked. Good thing he was there to recapture the loathsome creature. He let Black's stretcher bump into a tree. He imagined Black must have told the boy all sorts of lies to get him on his side. Well, no matter. The Headmaster will probably have the dementors waiting.

END


End file.
